The Maiden and the vase of flowers or pink nude 1921

Henri Matisse made this oil painting, The Maiden and the vase of flowers, sometime in the early 20th century. You can see Matisse’s marks searching for the figure, for the space. It’s like he’s thinking out loud, directly onto the canvas. The paint is thin, washy, but still so vivid. He balances representation and abstraction, and look at how the pink nude blends with the soft light filtering through the window. The white flowers almost disappear into the tablecloth, but their presence is crucial, adding a layer of tranquility to the scene. There’s a beautiful tension between the decorative patterns of the wallpaper and the solid blocks of color in the furniture. Notice how the green of the cushion pops against the red of the chair, creating a visual vibration. Matisse's work has something of Bonnard's intimacy and Vuillard’s domestic interiors, but with a bolder, more simplified approach. These paintings are all about embracing ambiguity and celebrating the joy of seeing, of painting.